Spring Mountain

Spring Mountain Road traces a rugged trail along the eastern slopes of Idaho’s Lemhi Range, weaving through a landscape steeped in mining history and mountain solitude. Just south of the old Texas Mining District, this remote route climbs into high-country terrain once bustling with the noise of pickaxes, ore carts, and dreams of fortune. In the early 1880s, rich lead-silver deposits were discovered here, sparking the rise of the Spring Mountain Mine, better known as the Big Windy, perched at a lofty 10,000 feet on the Lost River side of the range.

As you ascend the graded dirt road, you'll pass side routes leading to the historic mining townsite of Hahn and through Horseshoe Gulch, where rusted relics still rest quietly in the sagebrush, telling silent tales of a forgotten era. The views grow more dramatic with each turn, revealing sweeping vistas toward Big Windy Peak. A single dispersed campsite appears just off the trail, marked by a weathered rock fire ring. This is an inviting spot for those seeking solitude under the stars.

Carved initially by miners, this road once connected to the Spring Mountain Mine complex, a conjoined operation of the Elizabeth and Teddy mines. At the head of Spring Mountain Canyon, remnants of an old aerial tramway still cling to the cliffs, a skeletal trace of the ingenuity that once powered this remote mining enterprise.

In October 2023, the Forest Service installed a permanent gate on the west end of the road near the junction with Quartzite Canyon Road, closing off vehicle access to the upper reaches of the trail. From here, Quartzite Canyon Road continues westward, guiding across the heart of the Lemhi Range before descending into the vast and windswept Pahsimeroi Valley.